Ati Metwaly jazzes it up Magdy Boghdady is known to Egyptian audience mainly for the Boghdady Band, a large ensemble of professional wind musicians who play jazz, Latin American music, and various 20th-century American wind music, in addition to some Egyptian compositions. Boghdady has been performing with several guest artists (such as Yehia Khalil) in various locations around Cairo and Alexandria (El Sawy Cultural Wheel, the AUC Ewart Hall, Amir Tazz Palace etc); he is neither new to the Opera House halls nor to the Cairo Symphony Orchestra. The Symphonic Band Concert -- performed at the Cairo Opera House Main Hall and then at the Alexandria Opera House -- was an initiative in which Boghdady worked with Cairo Symphony Orchestra musicians. The concert, subtitled Symphonic Band Concert, included works composed for or rearranged specifically for this formation. The term Symphonic Band stands for formations consisting of woodwind, brass (including saxophones) and percussion instruments, performing light music, classical repertoire rearranged for those instruments or original works composed for the wind band. Over the centuries, military bands left a strong imprint in the minds of spectators attending the festive military parades and enjoying a variety of rhythmic marches. In 1909, Holst composed First Suite in E flat, for the symphonic band. Following it bands' growing interest in transcribed classical music repertoire (symphonic and operatic) gained interest of the modern generation composers and their expansion from parades and military festivities towards concert halls has naturally resulted in a significant increase of works composed especially for those formations. One of the most important names, known for his great contribution to the symphonic band repertoire, is James Swearingen: American composer, arranger and educator. His short compositions are frequently played during various symphonic band concerts and his Majestia -- with its interesting melodious and rhythmic phrasings -- is considered one of his masterpieces. The Majestia with its upbeat tempo was a lovely opening for the concert. The next piece, Emerald Breeze by Malcolm Binney -- the British educator, composer and conductor -- is described in the concert notes as "a work surrounded by great warmth ... [which has become] a favoured item in the repertoire of symphonic bands." Emerald Breeze is a rather short composition with several sharp, almost daring trumpet solos. For the operatic repertoire piece, Boghdady chose George Bizet's Carmen Suite no. 1, arranged by Jack Bullock. Carmen is one of the most beloved operas and its arias and melodies are in numerous concert repertoires. For the audience Bullock's arrangement, done after Bizet's death, is a wonderful reminder of composer's melodies and lovely folk Spanish accents. Boghdady's choice of Suite no. 1 served as a compromise between the band's repertoire and the opera regulars' preferences. More attractions were revealed in the second half of the concert. A short selection of a pieces taken from famous American movies was accompanied by the screening of movie scenes at the back panorama. Vangelis, Hans Zimmer, John Williams, Clint Mansell, James Horner along with Nino Rota are the big names behind American movies productions. Their music is praised for its power, expressivity, ability to complement the cinematic image and sometimes for raising the otherwise shallow artistic standards of a movie production. The composers' passion, talent and professionalism contribute to the success of a film. Film score has a power of elevating the most mediocre film or, if taken as an empty accompaniment, it can, de facto, diminish values of the whole production. "Music, for me, is not just about notes. It is about everything. Music exists before we exist. [I]t is part of us. It is deep in our memory," Vangelis, the Greek composer, is known to have said. Film scores included the music to Chariots of Fire and the theme from 1492: The Conquest of Paradise. The latter movie is praised for its cast and outstanding music. Together with Columbus and within one's own heart, the spectator is invited to discover paradise. But without its music, the film would have lost a lot. Vangelis' music is big and glorious without being pompous. Unquestionably, Vangelis turned The Conquest of Paradise into a real feast for the ear and the spirit; his music became one of the cinema scores icons of the world at large. In John Mortimer's arrangement, the known theme begins with the choir humming, leading into "in noreni pei ipe". The piece was very well played by the musicians while the choir blended perfectly with the band. No wonder, performed in the second half of the concert, The Conquest of Paradise received much applause and served as an encore at the end of the evening. We could only wish Boghdady reached for other pieces from movie music in which the choir is deployed. That would have satisfied the greediest listeners... John Williams is another big name in the world of film music. The popularity of Star Wars music is unparalleled, while his other compositions include equally valuable music for E.T., Jurassic Park, Schindler's List, Indiana Jones, Empire of the Sun, Memoires of a Geisha to name but a few. Williams is considered one of a handful of neo-romantics in the movies, his music is characterized by big orchestral compositions and brilliant leitmotifs. The Symphonic Band played selections from Indiana Jones, arranged by Hans van der Heide. Last but not least were two pieces from James Horner, the composer known for the Titanic score. Again, at the backdrop of scenes screened from the movie, the Symphonic Band played selections from his music to Mask of Zorro and I want to spend my lifetime loving you (arranged by John Moss) from the same movie. For opera regulars, the Symphonic Band Concert evening was a happy change in otherwise purely classic-music repertoires performed at the Opera House. For audiences preferring lighter music, the evening offered additional attractions. Boghdady's experience supported by his evident persistence has made symphonic band concerts his hallmark. And more importantly, over the last few years, there has been a noticeable positive shift in the Cairo Symphony Orchestra presenting more and more specialised concerts. Conductors such as Boghdady with the Symphonic Band concert or Yasser El Serafy's Baroque music concerts present the audience with an intense dose of a specific elixir.
